Nepal

The literature on self-help groups (SHGs) shows a mixed record on empowering women both economically and socially, while the literature on Women with Disabilities (WWDs) highlights the problems of isolation that exacerbate their disadvantages. This article, asking whether SHGs can empower WWDs, is based on a study conducted in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It concludes that […]

This viewpoint uses evaluation reports from Nepal, Afghanistan, and Yemen in order to learn lessons about how donors and governments can work more effectively with non-state actors to deliver education in fragile states. The evaluation framework draws on the Development Assistance Committee principles for good international engagement in fragile states. The analysis concludes that a […]

This article argues that there are contradictions between gender goals and policies and the aspirations of irrigation professionals, which are embedded in the incentive structure of the bureaucracy. In addition, the dominant professional culture of irrigation engineers is strongly masculine, linking professional performance to masculinity. The prevailing incentives and culture of the irrigation bureaucracy stand […]

This article uses the example of a mobile mixed-media platform – a converted three-wheeled auto-rickshaw – in Sri Lanka in order to explore whether and how content-creation activities can enable marginalised communities to have a voice. It draws upon research into participatory content-creation activities conducted in 15 locations across India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. […]

An innovative Action Aid-supplied project in Nepal has seen women’s empowerment make rapid progress through the use of video discussions about climate change. In this exploration of the project, we ask what we can learn from the use of such technology, and consider the implications for international development agencies and their efforts to support women’s […]

Entrepreneurship for women is often seen as a journey out of poverty and a march towards equality. Studies have proven that entrepreneurship, in the form of small and medium sized enterprises, can indeed empower women and through time, fundamentally transform power relations within a society, making it a place where women can lead. However, in […]

The extent to which abortion and menstrual regulation services are safe, legal, and women-friendly is a strong proxy of gender equity. This article draws on women’s voices from Nepal and Bangladesh to illustrate that even where services are provided legally, women can still face multiple barriers to access to services, and problematic quality of care. […]